While City Council endorsed the long-term Eglinton Connects plan in 2014 and approved the eglintonTOday Complete Street project in 2024 to address gaps in the bikeway network along the 19 km Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the City is unable to complete the project at this time due to changes to the Provincial Highway Traffic Act.
In 2014 City Council approved the Eglinton Connects Planning Study which established a long-term vision for Eglinton Avenue following the introduction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. The study envisioned a complete street guided by three integrated themes of Travelling Eglinton, Greening Eglinton and Building Eglinton.
The eglintonTOday Complete Street project was developed as an interim strategy to achieve elements of the Eglinton Connects vision and make travel along Eglinton Avenue safer, more inviting and more attractive for everyone.
Complete street features were to include bikeways and public realm upgrades on Eglinton Avenue between Bicknell Avenue (west of Keele Street) and Mount Pleasant Road. These improvements would have reallocated existing road space to support a range of uses, including vehicle travel, parking, cycling, seasonal patios, public art installations, and neighbourhood and cultural events.
Visit the Eglinton Allen Intersection Study for details about the intersection redesign of the Eglinton Avenue West and the Allen Road Expressway and addressing traffic congestion on neighbourhood streets.
Eglinton Avenue is a diverse and varied corridor. The first phase of the eglintonTOday Complete Street project extended along Eglinton Avenue between Bicknell Avenue in the west and Mount Pleasant Road in the east. Eglinton Avenue connects numerous unique neighbourhoods including Little Jamaica in the vibrant Eglinton West enclave between Allen Road and Keele Street, is home to more than six Business Improvement Areas and has strategic connections with the natural valley systems, ravines and trails of the larger city and region.
Installation between Avenue Road and Chaplin Crescent (within the limits of the Eglinton Way BIA) was completed in the fall 2024.
The City planned for road safety improvements, new bikeways, and enhanced streetscaping. Traffic lane changes varied throughout the corridor depending on existing roadway width and traffic volumes, but typical sections were to include the following:
Based on input from BIAs, residents and the eglintonTOday Stakeholder Advisory Group, some adjustments were made to the original proposal to better accommodate parking and loading, accessibility, congestion and neighbourhood infiltration on a block-by block basis. These minor changes did not change the general cross sections shared above.
The changes for the section between Bicknell Avenue to Caledonia Road included:
The changes for the section between Caledonia Road to Oakwood Avenue included:
The changes for the section between Oakwood Avenue to Spadina Avenue included:
The changes for the section between Spadina Avenue to Mount Pleasant Road included:
Changes for Croham Road, Glen Cedar Road and Jimmy Wisdom Way were identified in the Council-adopted Cycling Network Plan as north-south connections to and across Eglinton Avenue. The changes included:
These north-south connecting routes will be deferred along with the eglintonTOday Complete Street project.
The changes for Croham Road between Eglinton Avenue and Bowie Avenue included contra-flow bike lanes that would expand the local cycling network and connect to Eglinton Avenue, the York Beltline Trail and the new Caledonia LRT station. Details included:
The changes for Glen Cedar Road between Eglinton Avenue and Strathearn Road included contra-flow bike lanes on the one-way section of Glen Cedar Road and installation of shared bike lanes for the two-way section of Glen Cedar Road that would expand the local cycling network to connect Eglinton Avenue to important cycle routes south of Cedarvale Ravine. Design changes also considered maintaining the current two turning lanes at the North end of Glen Cedar Road. Details included:
The changes for Jimmy Wisdom Way between Eglinton Avenue and Hopewell Avenue include contra-flow bike lanes, and upgrades at the signalized intersection at Eglinton Avenue and Northcliffe Boulevard that would expand the local cycling network and connect to Eglinton Avenue, and the York Beltline Trail. Details included:
City Council authorized the installation of the proposed complete street, including bikeways, on Eglinton Avenue between Bicknell Avenue and Mount Pleasant Road on May 22, 2024 (Item IE13.2). A portion of the project, between Chaplin Crescent and Avenue Road, was installed in fall 2024.
Installation of the remainder of the project was planned to commence in summer 2025. However, due to ongoing delays to the opening of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT (ECLRT), Council directed Transportation Services to identify an implementation timeline that aligned with the ECLRT opening and minimized traffic impacts associated with construction and the continued operation of TTC surface bus routes.
The City is currently unable to complete installation of the remaining project elements due to changes to the Provincial Highway Traffic Act.
The project proposed to implement complete street features including cycle tracks, curb extensions, pedestrian head start signals, and public realm upgrades on Eglinton Avenue between Bicknell Avenue and Mount Pleasant Road by reassigning some of the existing vehicular space to accommodate parking, bikeways, seasonal patio extensions, and other complete street features, and to fit within the existing curb to curb space:
Based on feedback from the BIAs and local businesses, parking was been prioritized within commercial areas. There are currently 366 pay and display parking spaces along Eglinton Avenue from Bicknell Avenue to Mount Pleasant Road.
A total of approximately 531 pay and display parking spaces have been proposed through the designs, with approximately 313 of these parking spaces converted from current off-peak only restrictions to full-time parking.
Three north-south cycling connections are also proposed to connect to the Beltline and other existing cycling routes:
The eglintonTOday SAG was formed fall 2023 to provide feedback, guidance, and advice to the City Project Team on the development of the Data Collection & Monitoring Plan and the identification of potential design modifications to the Complete Street design in response to issues that may arise after installation.
The public consultation reports (linked below) provide a detailed summary of all activities that took place, proposed changes and feedback received.
Eglinton Connects was a comprehensive Planning Study undertaken from 2012 to 2014, with final Decisions of the Tribunal by 2018. The resulting Eglinton Connects Plan included a redesign of the streetscape along the Crosstown corridor through an Environmental Assessment. The streetscape redesign and Eglinton Connects Plan, including cycle tracks, was to be implemented through streetscape updates via the Crosstown construction, including:
From 2017 to 2019, a detailed analysis was undertaken regarding the property-specific implications of implementation of the Eglinton Connects streetscape. For example, there are existing encroachments in the right of way, such as stairs, ramps, gardens, and walls. Rather than impacting property owners at significant expense to the City, staff determined it would be best to achieve the overall Eglinton Connects streetscape over the longer term (e.g. in part through redevelopment) and through less invasive measures.
In December 2019, City Council directed staff to develop a strategy to accelerate design work of streetscape improvements along Eglinton Avenue, including cycle tracks, to align with the opening of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. The eglintonTOday Complete Street project included quick and actionable changes that can transform Eglinton Avenue into a complete street that would support and complement the transit corridor. This would also achieve the intent of the Eglinton Connects streetscape, with the full streetscape to be achieved over the long term.
The Federal Government provided funding for the Eglinton Connects Streetscape and Cycle Track project though the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF).
